7 Must-Read Summer Books

These are the ones people will talk about.

The advent of the e-reader enabled us to read trashy beach books with abandon. But with this summer's highly anticipated new releases, you'll want to flaunt your hardback as a reflection of your personality. Among these seven, you're bound to find one that suits you.

Voyager: Travel Writings by Russell Banks

Now in his 70s, Banks has lived the life of a true explorer. Each essay in this collection highlights a different voyage (hence the name of the book)—from interviewing Fidel Castro in Cuba to that time he eloped in Edinburgh.

The Fire This Time by Jesmyn Ward

In 1963, a book about race issues came out called The Fire Next Time. It’s been 53 years since then, but race is still a huge issue in this country. That’s why this book, edited by National Book Award-winner Ward, picks up where the other book left off. It’s a collection of essays and poems—many written specifically for this book—that focus on the past, present, and future of race in America.

Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube by Blair Braverman

Braverman moved to Norway at age 18 to drive sled dogs, then made her way over to Alaska to become a tour guide on a glacier. As she deals with everyday fears like “will a polar bear attack me,” she shows determination, bravery and humor.

Multiple Choice by Alejandro Zambra

Zambra, a well-loved writer from Chile, uses the format of a standardized test to create this quirky, thought-provoking read. The set-up of the test mimics the real life Chilean Aptitude Test and consists of 90 different questions that move from short questions to longer reading comprehension sections that will speak to the philosophical part of your brain.

Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer

It’s been more than a decade since Foer wrote Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, which means anticipation for this novel is huge. The story takes place over the course of one month in Washington, DC, and follows three brothers as their parents’ marriage is going downhill. It somehow deals with both the concept of home as well as growing turmoil in the Middle East in a uniquely Foer way.

The Sun in Your Eyes by Deborah Shapiro

This is the story of two friends and the secrets and betrayals that happen along the way. Quiet Vivian and dazzling Lee meet in college and go from strangers to best friends and then back to strangers. Years later, Lee shows up on Vivian’s door with a favor that involves diving back into the past. An ode to the power of nostalgia.

How to be a Person in the World by Heather Havrilesky

Havrilesky is the advice columnist for New York Magazine's "Ask Polly," where she gets real (and really funny) with readers’ conundrums over love, sex, careers, family dynamics and happiness. This is the first collection of her columns—most of them never published before.